Thierry Henry’s no-show for NY reveals problems with stars in MLS

New York Red Bulls’ Thierry Henry shows off some Gallic flair in March against Montreal, where the former Arsenal star boosted attendance to around 60,000. Wednesday, Henry failed to play in Vancouver for the second straight season, citing a calf injury. — Getty ImagesPhoto by
Mike Stobe

In a different time and a different place, Bob Lenarduzzi played against Pele, Franz Beckenbauer and Johan Cruyff.

As such, the Vancouver Whitecaps’ president understands what it means when legends of the game come to North America to finish their careers.

“Hey, I’m a fan too,” Lenarduzzi answered when asked about the intrigue over Thierry Henry. “I’m disappointed. I wanted to see him play.”

Along with 19,000 others in Vancouver who took in the Whitecaps-New York Red Bulls match on Wednesday night.

But Lenarduzzi also understands both sides of the equation. On the one hand, there’s an undeniable buzz created when Henry, the immaculate French striker, and David Beckham, the global super brand, come to town.

On the other, their contributions on the pitch aren’t always commensurate with their salaries and their reputations.

And that’s when they’re in the lineup.

“I’m going to take the position he’s injured,” Lenarduzzi said of the calf strain which kept Henry out of Wednesday night’s game.

We don’t know if he made air quotes as he said the word “injured,” but you can draw your own conclusions.

Henry, of course, created a mild spit storm when, for the second straight season, he failed to dress in Vancouver on New York’s only trip to the West Coast.

True, the 33-year-old former Arsenal star had missed five of his previous six games. But there was some sense the condition of the turf at B.C. Place had as much to do with his absence as the condition of his calf.

L’Affaire Henry also left a cloud hanging over a game that still had much to offer and that, in a nutshell, is the problem created by the galacticos.

The MLS in general and the Whitecaps specifically have built their brand around sound business practices and a solid economic plan. They don’t really need the divas.

Except they do, because Beckham put 60,000 keisters in the seats when he played in Montreal, and for a league that is still trying to establish itself in North America, you can’t put a price on what Mr. Posh offers.

“If you would have asked me if we needed a name before last season started, the answer probably would have been yes,” said Lenarduzzi.

“Maybe we still do but those guys cost a lot of money and there are no guarantees. You have to be careful. You have to get the right guy.”

To date, that right guy hasn’t appeared for the Whitecaps and that’s interesting.

Money, presumably, isn’t the issue but, after a nightmarish first season, the Caps have also built a solid nucleus, they’re winning and they’re starting to gain traction in this market.

Lenarduzzi, in fact, draws a parallel between the current team and the Whitecaps of the late ’70s and early ’80s who enjoyed a great run in the Lower Mainland.

That team didn’t have a lot of star power. It did, however, feature a collection of good players who set down roots here and created something of substance.

“[Soccer fans] didn’t know those players from a hole in the ground when they came here but they became household names,” Lenarduzzi says.

Now he hopes the same thing happens with the current crop of Whitecaps; with Jay Demerit, Joe Cannon, Sebastien Le Toux and others.

This is an interesting time in the life of the franchise. They are tracking in the right direction on a number of fronts. They seem to be developing some chemistry.

So here’s the conundrum. Do they make a flashy signing now and try to take it to another level? Or do they stick with what’s working?

“We’re getting to the stage where the quality of the league and the stability of the league is starting to draw designated players but I don’t think we need them for our credibility,” said Lenarduzzi.

Besides, it’s easier to plan when you know what you’ve got and what you’re going to get from what you’ve got.

“Sometimes I think it’s more difficult to play against guys who are trying to impress,” said Lenarduzzi.

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